12 Mar How much screen time should my child have?
A common questioned posed to me is “how much screen time should by child have?” And my answer has always been that depends. Previously paediatricians and other regulatory bodies recommended a blanket 2 hour maximum on screen time in a day. However this recommendation didn’t really account for the way we now use digital media in our day to day lives.
Let me be clear, screen time does not include the time children spend on computers or other devices completing homework or other everyday tasks. Screen time is only meant to refer to the use of digital media for the purpose of entertainment.
There are many positives to our use of media on a daily basis. But this use must be balanced with our other needs.
“Media should work for you & work within your family values & parenting style. When media is used thoughtfully & appropriately, media can enhance daily life. But when used inappropriately or without thought, media can displace many important activities such as face-to-face interaction, family-time, outdoor-play, exercise, unplugged downtime & sleep.” (AAP healthychild.org)
The American Academy of Paediatrics revised it recommendations on screen time in October 2016. They recommend as follows:
- Under 2 years – No screen time at all
- 2-5 years – 1 hour per day of high quality entertainment (e.g. Sesame Street, Playschool)
- 6 years + – time is at the discretion of parents
Tips for healthy digital media use
- Ensure there are media free times in the day (e.g. no devices at dinner)
- Consider having media free zones in the house (especially the bedroom)
- Ensure a diversity of media and prioritise media that promotes interaction, connection and creativity
- Balance media use with other forms of entertainment (e.g. board games, books, dress ups)
- Ensure a minimum of 1 hour of physical activity and healthy sleep
- Promote digital citizenship (e.g. awareness of cyber bullying and how to treat others online)
- Promote online safety skills
- Teach media manners (e.g. no texting when people are talking to you)
- Teach critical thinking skills to manage the influence of advertising
The AAP have developed a very helpful tool for families to develop a media plan. This may be accessed here. The plan helps to set limits and teach children about how to monitor and regulate their media use. Furthermore it helps to ensure their safety in an online world.
So depending on the age of your child, the type of child you have and your own family values regarding media, you can determine the right amount of screen time for your child.
